Ssd OS gone

[chicksub90]

I installed windows 7 on my ssd and it worked fine. Then I removed it recently and connected my PC to two older hard disks. Today I load the connect back the ssd with one of my older harddisk and it wouldn't boot rom ssd.

First I tot it was my boot sequence, so I changed it on bios. Still didn't work.
So I booted manually to ssd from bios, still didn't work - it went back to boot from the other harddisk.
So I connected only the ssd now and find that it wouldn't boot...no booting and it asks me to insert a cd or other media. I insert my windows cd and try to repair but it tells me I have no OS on the harddrive. So now I am reinstalling windows on it. And when doing that it shows me I had 40gb used on my ssd (which I now format away for fresh install) but that indicates all my previous files were on it. I didn't delete anything previously either.

How come my OS disappears?.

 

[tungsten2]

Since you already reformatted your SSD, just move on.

 

[chicksub90]

I want to make sure it doesn't happen again or at least know how to prevent it.
Am I not supposed to maybe connect my ssd with regular hard disks because they overwrite OS?

 

[commach]

When you installed Windows to the SSD, are there any existing HDDs with an active partition status, meaning a HDD installed with a bootable Windows?

If yes, you need that HDD to be connected to the system if you want to "boot" from the SSD. The so called bootable SSD is not bootable at all once you remove the old HDD that house the installed bootable Windows with the active partition.

The reason is simply, during Windows installation routine, if any connected HDD already have a active partition, the installation routine will use that active partition for the boot sector. It will not create another active partition on the SSD despite you assign the SSD to house the Windows folder a.k.a. %system%

Without the active partition status, the SSD can never be a standalone bootable SSD despite you have the C:\Windows in it. To avoid such problem, remove all other HDDs and connect only the SSD to install Windows. Connect the old HDD/HDDs only after you complete the installation if you want to use them as storage or backup drive.

 

[chicksub90]

When I installed windows on the ssd, there was no other harddisk connected. So I don't think that could have happened.

 

[jtjt00]

During initial stage of OS installation, alway disconnect ALL except the OS drive.

If you insert another drive with OS installed, be sure to enter BIOS to set correct boot drive.

 

[jtjt00]

Problem arise when you are booting a system with 2 drives having boot sector.

 

[wkweewee]

I installed windows 7 on my ssd and it worked fine. Then I removed it recently and connected my PC to two older hard disks. Today I load the connect back the ssd with one of my older harddisk and it wouldn't boot rom ssd.

First I tot it was my boot sequence, so I changed it on bios. Still didn't work.
So I booted manually to ssd from bios, still didn't work - it went back to boot from the other harddisk.
So I connected only the ssd now and find that it wouldn't boot...no booting and it asks me to insert a cd or other media. I insert my windows cd and try to repair but it tells me I have no OS on the harddrive. So now I am reinstalling windows on it. And when doing that it shows me I had 40gb used on my ssd (which I now format away for fresh install) but that indicates all my previous files were on it. I didn't delete anything previously either.

How come my OS disappears?.

Hi there. Before I provide any add ons to help you understand certain things in a less technical manner, there are some questions I would like to ask you haha.

1) Why do you remove your initial ssd boot drive @.@ and where did you use it after removal?

2) Did you mount one of your old hard disks at the previous sata port your ssd once used?

3) Has one of your hard disks been used as a boot drive as well previously?

4) If the answer to question 3 is a yes, is it an oem version/retail version of windows?

5) What windows version and mobo (both current [the system now] and old [previously the one your hard drive was attached to]) are you using?

As for your 40gb of previous stuff, it is called windows.old folder which happens as you retained the original drive partition without formatting it. Anyways, after you have retrieved what you want from that folder, you can safely delete it. For installation of internal hard disks, the proper way of doing it should be: installing the os drive> do not remove to os drive> check your old hard disks for any bootable partitions> remove/format the partitions> install your old hard disk(s). Cheers.

 

[chicksub90]

Hi wkweewee,

1) I removed my SSD because I wanted to boot with just 2 harddisks and copy and paste some files over from oldhardisk 1 to oldharddisk 2. When I had SSD and oldharddisk1 connected previously, i also didn't like the prompt after BIOS asking me which Win7 I want to boot, so I went to msconfig and delete the boot option for oldharddisk1. I wanted to check that I didn't actually delete windows 7 from oldharddisk1. As it turned out, i didn't delete windows from ANY (including SSD). I know that because each harddisk would launch to a different background & set of desktop icons.


2) I could have. Can't remember. Does it matter?

3) Yes both oldharddisk1 & 2 have windows and are bootable. I think I may have booted to them at some point of time.

4) Retail

5) Windows 7, and in all cases I am using an ASUS mobo. P8H77-V. didn't replace my mobo.

Thanks much!

 

[wkweewee]

Hi wkweewee,

1) I removed my SSD because I wanted to boot with just 2 harddisks and copy and paste some files over from oldhardisk 1 to oldharddisk 2. When I had SSD and oldharddisk1 connected previously, i also didn't like the prompt after BIOS asking me which Win7 I want to boot, so I went to msconfig and delete the boot option for oldharddisk1. I wanted to check that I didn't actually delete windows 7 from oldharddisk1. As it turned out, i didn't delete windows from ANY (including SSD). I know that because each harddisk would launch to a different background & set of desktop icons.


2) I could have. Can't remember. Does it matter?

3) Yes both oldharddisk1 & 2 have windows and are bootable. I think I may have booted to them at some point of time.

4) Retail

5) Windows 7, and in all cases I am using an ASUS mobo. P8H77-V. didn't replace my mobo.

Thanks much!

Errrm.. so you have windows 7 on your ssd, hd01 and hd02 @.@.. and you bought 3 retail boxes for them or you are using one retail box for all 3 -.-?

Anyway, not many people would run their system in a dual boot configuration and even if they do so, one primary reason is that some of their softwares are still not well supported in the latest os (for eg, in windows 7/8 as compared to windows xp). Even Microsoft don't recommend running in a dual boot configuration and that is why software like VMware is there. Coming back to your question, as you are swapping 3 bootable drives to your mobo, your mobo might have taken preference to one of the hds instead of your ssd as the primary boot drive (due to one reason or another). Apart from that, as about why did I spam you with so many questions is because, I am not sure whether or not your old hds are running in the old ide mode as compared to the newer ahci mode (as in your ssd). Your mobo might have taken preference to the ide mode hds and this might have prevented you to select your ssd back as your primary boot drive as changing a controller mode requires either a bios setting change/windows reinstall/a change in values of the registry in order to work.

I would strongly suggest you to purchase a usb2.0/3.0 to sata enclosure/cable to house your two hds externally to save you the hassle of going through all these again haha. One benefit of this is that you will be able to access the files in your hds as 'normal external hard disks' and you can copy/delete the files (and format) safely too without interfering with your boot drive. Cheers.

*There is no way you can run dual boot without going through the bios each time as long as your system detects 2 bootable drives in your com.